


when you call (i'm at the end of the line)

by coupe_de_foudre



Series: the one when everyone finds out buck is married [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Again, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Buck is in hospital, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Light Angst, M/M, Married Buddie, Secret Relationship, What is this?, as in the team don't know eddie yet, but also buck hasn't told them he's married so like...it's a secret, it was supposed to be short & sweet but it ended up 2k so like...i'm sorry??, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29141022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coupe_de_foudre/pseuds/coupe_de_foudre
Summary: Buck was hurt.That’s all he remembers hearing, the rest of the words (things like “a work injury” and “taken to surgery”) barely registering in his mind. In one ear, out the other. None of it matters right now becauseBuck was hurt.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: the one when everyone finds out buck is married [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142663
Comments: 41
Kudos: 740
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	when you call (i'm at the end of the line)

**Author's Note:**

> i have a terrible habit of writing a hurt/comfort hospital fic for like, every fandom i fall into? so this was inevitable... i blame law & order for using a quote that inspired this whole thing though
> 
> title from phases by prettymuch because that's my current favourite buddie song sorry not sorry

Eddie rushes into the hospital, barely taking in the endless people milling around the waiting room as he makes a beeline for the front desk. An older woman blinks up at him, phone balanced on her shoulder and she holds a finger up to him, signalling for him to wait a minute. He nods, but the panic is no less now than it was after he’d gotten the call – almost thirty whole minutes ago.

Buck was hurt.

That’s all he remembers hearing, the rest of the words (things like “a work injury” and “taken to surgery”) barely registering in his mind. In one ear, out the other. None of it matters right now because _Buck was hurt._

He’s hurt and it took Eddie thirty fucking minutes to get to him.

So lost in his own thoughts, dread and nerves and guilt closing in on him like a dark cloud, he barely hears the woman calling out to him. “Sir? Sir, how can I help you?” she asks, voice gentle as she rests a hand on his arm.

“My husband.” he breathes out, gripping the edge of the counter and willing his heartrate to slow down. “Evan Diaz. He was brought in earlier. I’m sorry it took me so long…. I’m sorry- I- I tried to get here as fast as-”

“It’s okay.” she interrupted with a reassuring smile, typing quickly into her computer and squeezing his arm lightly. “He’s out of surgery now. Over in room 120. Someone’s with him at the moment but you’re welcome to join.”

He lets out a shaky laugh, trying not to get his hopes up too much before he’s actually seen the damage for himself. “Thank you, thank you.” he says, following her directions up to the room he’s in. He feels like he’s in a trance as he walks through the corridors, each one identical to the other; white walls, matching tiles and a constant _beep, beep, beep_ that swirls around in his head repeatedly.

Room 120 is a single room, thankfully. Glancing through the crack of the blinds on the door, he sees an unfamiliar figure sat in one of two chairs in the room, by the bottom of the bed.

The bed.

Eddie almost doesn’t want to look, heart wrenching in his chest at just the mere thought of his husband being hurt. He has to, though.

His eyes travel up the crisp, white sheets, following the shape of a body he’s memorised inside and out, traced every freckle and birthmark, kissed every inch of pale skin, until finally he lands on the face of his husband. He’s sleeping, and for a moment Eddie feels calm because Buck looks so _peaceful_. He looks like he does every morning, dozing next to him with that wistful smile on his face, hair splayed out on the pillow beneath him and just begging for Eddie to run his fingers through it.

The stranger in the room must sense his presence because he glances up in that moment, eyes locking with Eddie’s, and the pain in them practically mirrors what Eddie is feeling. With a confused frown, the man – who has to be at least twenty years Buck’s senior – gestures for him to come in and Eddie doesn’t hesitate a second longer, pushing the door open and slipping inside.

It’s quiet in the room, save for the faint beeping of the heart monitor by Buck’s head. Eddie can’t seem to draw his eyes away from Buck’s face, walking closer until he’s stood by his side, slowly lowering down into the chair closest to him in a daze. It still all feels like a nightmare. A terrible, horrible, gut-wrenching nightmare.

He takes Buck’s hand in his, a lump in his throat refusing to be swallowed down when he notices how limp he is, and squeezes. Tears are welling up in his eyes, he can feel them, but he doesn’t have enough strength to fight them back anymore and just lets out a choked sob as he feels one roll down his cheek, stroking his thumb over Buck’s bruised knuckles.

“You okay?” the stranger speaks up, at last, and his voice is hoarse. Eddie suspects he’s not the first one to break down in this room tonight.

Looking up, blinking furiously, he doesn’t bother lying. “Not really.” The man nods in understanding. Eddie sighs, glancing back down at Buck.

From up close, it’s much easier to see the injuries; there are cuts and bruises littering his face, a particularly deep one that seems to have been stitched up just above his right brow. He doesn’t even think about his actions, his free hand lifting to run a soothing sweep over the cut.

Buck doesn’t show any signs of noticing him.

“Not to be rude,” Eddie clears his throat, eyes still fixated on Buck as he checks him over for any other major injuries but coming up blank, “but who exactly are you?”

The man lets out a weak chuckle, running a hand through his hair as he leans back in his chair. “I’m Bobby. Buck’s Captain.” Well, that makes sense. Eddie should’ve known that, really, but he’d been so caught up in his own mind that he wasn’t thinking straight at the moment. “He uh- he’s lucky. Almost got crushed by a fallen electric pole. His ladder fell with it and-”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Eddie feels the need to clarify, meeting Bobby’s eyes. Bobby nods but it’s not very convincing.

“He’s like a son to me,” he whispers into the room and Eddie’s heart aches even more. Buck’s talked about Bobby plenty, told Eddie that he’s an amazing firefighter and an even better man. He looks up to him. Eddie’s glad that he’s here too.

He tells Bobby as much, pretending to not notice when the older man has to turn away to wipe at his eyes.

“The rest of the team was here earlier.” Bobby says with a warm smile, “I sent them home, though. It was getting late.” Eddie nods, his previous concerns of Buck being alone before surgery disappearing at the thought of him being surrounded by his friends.

“You can go too,” he tells Bobby, “if you’d like.” He glances at the clock on the far wall. It’s gone midnight now. He’s just grateful Carla could take Christopher at such late notice. She’d just shushed him as he rambled apologies, all but pushing him out the front door and telling him to go to Buck. To be with him. The thought brings back another wave of regret and he lifts Buck’s hand, pressing a soft kiss to his palm. “I’m here now.” he murmurs, but whether it’s to Bobby or to Buck he’s not entirely sure.

Bobby is quiet for a moment, watching him with a curiosity that Eddie doesn’t miss.

“Sorry, I don’t think I got your name?” Bobby says, obviously trying to sound casual but coming off more inquisitive.

Eddie smiles, even if he looks pathetic with tear-stained cheeks and still dressed in his old sweatpants and one of Buck’s favourite sweaters, holding a hand out for Bobby to shake. “I’m Eddie. Eddie Diaz.” he says, casting another quick glance down to Buck, “Buck’s husband.”

Bobby pauses.

“Wait,” he leans forward in his chair, “Buck’s husband? I didn’t know he was dating anyone, let alone married.”

Eddie’s laugh is watery as he shakes his head, brushing hair from Buck’s eyes even though they remain closed. “No, he doesn’t usually tell many people.” he sighs, heavy and defeated as tiredness sets in. “He’s not exactly the most _open_ of people.”

“You can say that again.”

“We’ve been together almost five years, married for three.” Eddie explains, hoping Buck doesn’t get pissed with him when he finds out. It’s not exactly like he can lie, though. Their relationship is pretty obvious, at this point. “I’m uh- I’m in the academy at the moment and Buck thought it best we don’t broadcast out relationship, y’know, just in case someone thinks he’s got any pull with how I do. He doesn’t, by the way.” he adds at the end, Bobby nodding in understanding. Of course he doesn’t, but some people can be unreasonable.

“It actually explains a lot.” Bobby says, a fond smile on his face as he looks down at Buck. The look is nothing unlike a fatherly one and Eddie finds himself smiling too. “He never did talk about his dating life, but we all had a feeling that he was keeping something hidden.” Bobby looks up at Eddie then, smirking. “You’re not exactly the blonde cougar I had my bets on but hey, you win some you lose some.”

Eddie laughs at that, a proper laugh, the first one since he’d gotten that dreaded call. He can imagine it must be quite a shock to find out that Buck isn’t just married but married to a _guy_.

He knows _he’d_ been shocked when Buck had leant in to kiss him for the first time all those years ago, the two of them sunbathing on the beach as Christopher built sandcastles by their feet. It had taken him by surprise and he hadn’t spoken for almost a solid minute, only shaking out of it when Buck shoved him off their shared towel and he’d gotten a mouthful of sand.

“No, sorry, not a cougar.” he shakes his head, wishing Buck was awake to make one of his sassy remarks about the implication that he goes for older women.

“You love him.” It’s not a question.

“We don’t do very well without each other.” Eddie chuckles, heart breaking just at the thought of losing Buck. He reaches out and runs his thumb over his husband’s cracked lips, following the curve of his cheekbone and tracing over his birthmark.

“Five years is a long time, though.” Bobby’s voice is softer as he speaks now and he stands up from his chair, stretching out the aches that these damn things give you after sitting in them for so long. He steps over towards Eddie, dropping a reassuring hand onto his shoulder. “He’s gonna be alright, kid’s a fighter.”

Eddie nods, “Yeah, he is.”

It’s quiet for a moment, not uncomfortable, as they both sit and watch Buck’s chest rise and fall steadily. Then Bobby claps his hand to Eddie’s back, smiling down at him. “You want a drink or anything? I missed dinner so I’m gonna scrounge the vending machines.”

“A coffee would be great.”

“No problem.” Bobby says, taking his leave shortly after.

Eddie leans forward, the silence in the room now almost stifling when he’s left alone. His elbows rest on the edge of the bed, both hands clasped around one of Buck’s as he brings them up to his lips and presses a lingering kiss over the delicate skin. He’s still crying, the odd tear dropping down onto their entwined hands and seeping between their fingers.

“You better be okay.” he chokes out, squeezing his eyes shut in a vain attempt to stop the tears.

He’s clinging to Buck so tightly that he doesn’t feel the twitch of fingers under his own. Doesn’t even notice a shift in the room until a voice, broken and hoarse but familiar all the same, speaks up. “My fingers ‘re gonna drop off.”

His heart skips a beat, painful and sudden enough that he briefly thinks he’s having a heart-attack, and he shoots his head up only to come face to face with a smiling Buck. He looks tired, no exhausted is a better word for it, but his eyes are warm and comforting and Eddie swears he hasn’t seen a prettier person in his entire life.

“Buck!” he breathes out, smile splitting his face and he practically jumps on top of his husband. His hands cup his face and gently tilt it up to meet his, wasting no time in sealing their lips in a kiss. It’s soft; Eddie’s all too aware of the pain Buck must be in, but it’s no less passionate than any of the many kisses they’ve shared in their lifetime, warm lips pressed to dry as he slips a tongue inside Buck’s mouth, surrounding himself in everything that is _Buck._

Buck sighs happily into his mouth, lazily kissing him back. If a kiss were to ever feel like home, it would be this one.

Eddie’s the one to pull away first, resting his forehead atop of Buck’s and smiling down at him in disbelief. “Don’t _ever_ do that to me again.” he whispers, the words causing his lips to brush over Buck’s as he speaks.

Buck chuckles weakly and nods. “I’ll try my best not to.”

It’s as though all the worry seeps out of Eddie and suddenly he’s exhausted, dropping his head down to rest carefully over Buck’s chest, ear to his heart as he lets the steady beat calm his last nerves. Buck doesn’t protest, just lifting a shaky hand to sink his fingers deep into Eddie’s hair and comb through it, the action soothing.

“Bobby’s here.” Eddie finds himself saying, sighing as Buck’s fingers massage at his scalp.

A faint laugh escapes Buck and he hooks his index finger and thumb under Eddie’s jaw to lift his head upwards. His eyes are shining, full of life despite what the current circumstances might suggest, and he gently pulls at Eddie’s lower lip with the pad of his thumb. “Guess the secrets out then?”

Eddie snorts. “Guess so.” he replies, smiling wide as he leans down to capture Buck’s lips in another sweet kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> this is probably trash ngl but like, i hope someone enjoyed it?
> 
> tysm for reading (and for all the feedback on my last buddie fic omg y'all make me cry) <3
> 
> come scream at me on [tumblr](https://a-beautiful-struggle-of-life.tumblr.com/)!!


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